The present invention generally relates to a device for dispensing a flowable substance, and in particular to a device for dispensing powder used for preparing a beverage from a beverage machine such as a coffee machine and the like. The invention also relates to a container assembly adapted to such a device.
Various automated beverage machines for making hot or cold beverage products are known in the art. In a conventional beverage machine, a metered amount of water-soluble beverage powder, stored in powder refillable canister, and a metered amount of hot or cold water, supplied from a water source, is conveyed into a mixing chamber to produce a beverage or food, which is then dispensed into a cup and served. The refilling of canisters requires time consuming manual operations from the foodservice operator. The operator has usually to refill the canisters by pouring the powder from powder bags. This can cause significant loss of powder and hygienic problems due to possible contamination with the outside environment, especially, when air and water sensitive powders are used such as milk powders. Periodical cleaning of the machine is also rendered necessary to avoid the machine looking dirty and also to avoid hygiene hazards.
Another problem associated with the dispensing of dry and powdered material from a canister is that such a material is hygroscopic and therefore has very high tendency to form lumps and cakes that might affect the accuracy of the metered dosage of the powder from the machine.
Therefore, there does not exist a satisfactory device, especially for use as a small coffee machine for an office or home coffee system, that would allow the reliable dispensing of powder from a convenient removable package with a high level of cleanliness, convenience and reliability. In particular, there does not exist a device that would provide a substance-containing package that can be adapted in a quick, clean and effective manner to a reservoir and dosing device with the package forming a part of the reservoir. Such a configuration would allow more flexibility in the way the beverage-making machines can be conceived as the reserve of powder would not necessarily be fully part of the machine itself. The present invention now resolves these deficiencies.
The present invention provides a device for dispensing a flowable substance, especially a dry powdered food material, which can be more cleanly and rapidly refilled with powder while necessitating less labor time. More specifically, this dispensing device ensures essentially no loss of the flowable substance, reduces cleaning requirements to a minimum and consequently diminishes the risks of potential hygienic hazards. In addition, this dispensing device may be adapted for various applications such as home or office beverage-making systems of relatively small or reduced volumes.
The invention specifically relates to a dispensing device comprising a container holding assembly adapted for receiving a container having a flowable substance therein. The container holding assembly has opening means for selectively opening said container which is adapted to move from a closed position to an open position of the container and vice versa. The container holding assembly further has a locking means for holding the opening means in an initially closed position of the container. The dispensing device further comprises a reservoir means adapted to receive the container holding assembly for being delivered with flowable substance in a delivery position and latch means for securing the container holding assembly to the reservoir means when the container is in the delivery position. The reservoir means further comprises a release means for releasing the locking means of the container holding assembly. The release means may be coupled to the latch means. The release means is capable of actuating the locking means of the container holding assembly when the container is secured in the delivery position so that the opening means of the container holding assembly is capable of being moved from its closed position into an open position to free flowable substance from the container that can flow into the reservoir means.
In a preferred aspect, the device further comprises a secondary locking means for locking the latch means attaching the container holding assembly to the reservoir means in the delivery position of the container which is arranged with respect to the opening means of the container assembly so that it deactivates selectively the latch means to enable to release the container assembly only when the opening means is moved into a closed position of the container so that any excess of substance can be prevented from flowing outside of the container when disengaging the container assembly from the reservoir means. More especially, it allows to remove the container in a clean way before the container is fully empty.
In a preferred embodiment, the container holding assembly comprises primary sliding means adapted to move the opening means with respect to the container from a closed position to an opening position and vice versa.
In addition, the container holding assembly may be guided in sliding engagement onto the reservoir means by secondary sliding engaging means including stopping means capable of stopping the container in the predetermined delivery position.
Therefore, according to a preferred aspect, the primary and secondary sliding means lies in the same direction so that the engagement of the container assembly and the opening of the container can be carried out one after the other along a substantially continuous sliding motion. Therefore, the container can be properly and rapidly opened in the suitable position to the reservoir means.
In a preferred embodiment, the opening means and primary sliding means form a gate plate slidably engaging a container carriage onto which the container may be attached. Preferably, the container is removably attached to the container carriage by removable connection means. Alternatively, the container may be permanently attached to the container carriage. The container carriage may include a first part of the secondary sliding means adapted to complement a second part of the secondary sliding means of the reservoir means. The gate plate and the container carriage may both be provided with openings for the passage of the flowable substance that coincide together when the container assembly is moved in opening position on the reservoir means.
The reservoir means may comprise a passage for collecting the flowable substance that extends beyond the openings of the container assembly so that any excess of powder may be wiped from the gate plate during the closure of the gate plate with respect to the container carriage and collected through the passage. This configuration is effective to prevent substance from soiling the vicinity of the reservoir means but ensures the excess of powder can fall back into the reservoir means as the opening means is returned in the closed position.
In another important aspect of the invention, the invention relates to the container assembly itself as taken as an independent part in relation to the reservoir means. For that, the container assembly comprises a container containing a flowable substance and a container holding assembly attached to the container which comprises an opening means for selectively opening the container adapted to move from a closed position to an open position of the container and vice versa, and locking means for holding the opening means in the closed position in which the container is closed by the container holding assembly. The locking means may be released by a release means of a reservoir assembly arranged so that the release is effected when the container holding assembly held in a stable delivery position onto the reservoir means.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a device for dispensing a flowable substance comprising a cartridge holder and a hopper. The cartridge holder is adapted for receiving a refill cartridge that contains a flowable substance, and includes an apertured plate member for selectively opening the cartridge. The plate member is adapted to move from a closed position, wherein a portion of the plate member obturates the cartridge, to an open position wherein the plate member leaves the cartridge open and vice versa. The apertured plate member is initially locked to the cartridge in the closed position.
The hopper is adapted to receive the cartridge holder in a delivery position for delivering the flowable substance. The hopper is preferably adapted to release the apertured plate member by the effect of the cartridge holder engaging the hopper in the delivery position such that the cartridge holder is capable of being moved from the closed position to the open position, thereby freeing flowable substance from the cartridge that can flow into the hopper.
The container may include any powdered food material such as a milk or milk based products, soup, sauces, mashed potatoes or other dehydrated food products.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for rapidly and cleaningly delivering a powder in a reservoir assembly from a container containing a powder. In this method, a container holder adapted for receiving the container is provided. This container holder comprises an apertured means for selectively opening the container with the apertured means being adapted to move from a closed position wherein a portion of the apertured means obturates the container to an open position wherein the apertured means leaves the container open and vice versa. The apertured means is ordinarily locked to the container in a closed position, and is released as the container holder securely engages the reservoir assembly in a delivery position for delivering the flowable substance from the container.